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Aaron Blankenbaker
ENGL115
Prof. Beadle
16 September 2015
Gender in Biology and Culture
Society has clear cut definitions of what makes a man a man and a woman a woman.
Author Ruth Hubbard discusses gender through biology and author Aaron Devor discusses
gender through culture. The two authors compare and contrast typical gender stereotypes and
how they are not always true. Hubbard, in her article, Rethinking Womens Biology, compares
mental and physical traits and how exercise and diet influence gender biology. Devor, in his
article, Becoming Members of Society, discusses gender identification and various cultural
standards. Both authors use the influence of biology and pop culture to tie their articles together
as a platform to discuss their ideas.
When you thinks of a man and a woman, you tend to look at what sets them apart from
each other. In Ruth Hubbards case, she prefers to look at why they are more alike. There are
obvious features that set males apart from females, such as genitalia, height and weight. In
Hubbards article, Body Build and Strength she states, Women and men are physically not
very different...there is about a two-foot spread in height among people in the U.S., but a
difference of only three to five inches between the average heights of women and
men (Hubbard, 47). She is stating that we tend to make small differences look like a bigger deal
than they really are. Height can be influenced by genetics and diet. Ones genetics predetermine
what an individuals height and growth rate are for most of their adulthood based on previous
family history. Diet can have a negative or positive effect on an individual depending on whether
they choose to maintain a healthy diet or not.

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Hubbard brought up physical biology because for most people, what makes men different
from women, body shape and features are in my experience what people tend to identify first.
Hubbard also discusses womens physical norms and mental traits. She states, womens
maternal instinct needs to be looked at in light of some womens desperate efforts to avoid
having children, while society persuades them to (Hubbard, 49-50). She suggests that society
has its ideal woman who is married, has children and tends to the house, much like that of a
1950s stereotype. In reality, women in todays society are no longer just housewives, with a
larger percentage working outside the home. Many have demanding jobs such as Meg Whitman,
CEO of Hewlett-Packard, or our former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
Hubbard discusses how diet and exercise play a big role in physicality. In a section of her
article Hubbard states, U.S. women are obsessed by concerns about their weight, to the point
where girls and young women deliberately eat less than they need (Hubbard, 49). She concludes
that society is pressuring women to shape their bodies in unhealthy ways and slow down their
growth and development to adulthood. Hubbard states weight can change considerably in
response to our diets, levels of physical activity and other patterns of living.....When women
begin to exercise or engage in weight training and body building, we often notice surprisingly
great changes in strength to even quite moderate training (Hubbard, 49). Although women are
typically born with greater strength in their legs than their chest, simple to moderate weight
exercises can make a woman able to lift heavier objects than before (Hubbard 49). Hubbard
suggests that strength is not totally predetermined, but a result of the effort one puts in their
exercise and diet.
Gender identification is a lifelong learning process. It begins around eighteen months old
when children settle into a gender identity and by two years old they understand that they belong

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to a gender group and can identify others associated with it. In Devors case, gender is not
limited to the boys wear blue, girls wear pink gender norms that were taught growing up. I
can recall one day in my early childhood when my mom and I were walking down a popular
street in Hollywood when we crossed paths with a transgender man who was wearing lipstick,
nail polish and some questionable attire. I automatically started thinking about which bathroom
he would use. I asked my mom exactly that, and she said it was complicated. He was basically a
man who preferred to dress like a woman, yet retain his masculine features like a beard,
mustache, and so on. Up until high school, I hadnt seen anyone like that until I encountered
someone with a similar gender presentation at the first dance of the year. Except in this case, the
person was girl that dressed like a boy. Thats when everything clicked. I realized that its what
makes the person comfortable. Dressing outside of the norm is part of who they are and how they
choose to define themselves. In his article, Aaron Devor discusses just how clothing plays a big
role in self-identification. Everyones unique lifestyle choices should be recognized and
respected.
Devor discusses that in all cultures there are, and have always been people that fall into a
third category of gender. He notes that throughout the world, Each culture had its own word to
describe such persons....Such people were sometimes revered, sometimes ignored, and
occasionally scorned, (Devor, 36). He is stating that not just in modern western society, but in
the last seven to eight hundred years a third gender has existed as a norm in the societies he
notes, even in contemporary America. We can see examples of cultures across the world
demonstrating their standards and how they stand out from each other. Until only a few decades
ago, the families of Chinese girls would break the bones in their feet and bind them to cripple
them, creating something they thought was beautiful. In African and South American tribal

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culture, members of tribes pierce their face and ears with hoops or needle-like objects. Male
hippies in the United States in the 1960s/1970s defied the conservative 1950s culture of slacks,
dress shirt, tie and short hair by wearing jeans, boots and growing their hair out. Devor concludes
that there are cultural varieties in every corner of the world with their own set of rules.
Other examples or influences include popular culture such as movie stars, bands and
celebrities. We often imitate what makes us happy or what we can closely relate to ourselves.
This is often displayed through peoples clothing and physical appearance choices. Most often
we see fans of bands or YouTubers (yes, they are considered celebrities) wearing t-shirts or
specialized merchandize. Sometimes we see them copying the clothing of their heroes, even
when they cross gender norms, such as with Marilyn Manson.
In their articles, Hubbard and Devor break down how gender is defined and represented.
Hubbard discusses gender through biology traits and features. Devor discusses gender through
the variety of culture and its norms. The pair examine what society has stated to be male and
female gender stereotypes and made it clear that there are exceptions. Hubbard and Devor
compare and contrast societys expectations versus their reality.

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Works Cited:
Hubbard, Ruth. Visible or Invisible: Growing Up Female In Porn Culture. Composing Gender.
OHara, John F. Groner, Rachael. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2014. 46-52. Print.